Judge Stitzel said he had the pleasure of introducing the lecturer of the evening, Prof. Thomas Meehan, whose theme was " Fruits and Flowers in Connection with the Progress of Civilization." Starting with an anecdote and putting the audience in the best of humor, the lecturer went on to laud the high civilization of the nineteenth century - a civilization which comes of a careful regard for the good of others. The earlier civilization was of a different sort. Now the chief aim of civilization seems to be to promote the well-being of others, and in no line of occupation is so much contributed to this civilization as in that of horticulture - a love for and cultivation of the beautiful. A striking illustration of a beautiful character of this kind was found in the life of the late Charles Downing, whose death we so keenly mourn to-day. He was the embodiment of all that is good and noble in man, and his horticultural pursuits undoubtedly had a moulding influence in the formation of his character. A love of flowers begets a love for humanity - and to love humanity and to look to its highest, noblest, development, is civilization.

The quince may be instanced as an illustration of how closely allied the fruits are with the history of man. The very name - or at least the Latin name - of quince, shows where it originated. We often hear of marmalade in connection with fruits, and it really is a part of the history of the quince.

Marmalade was first made at Marmelon, in Spain, and has given its name to preserves of other fruits for preserve; hence it originally meant, as applied to the quince, quince preserve. The cherry is an evidence of civilization, and wherever it is seen you will find civilization. Among the ancients the fruits and flowers formed a conspicuous part of the people's history. Flowers were used among the Greeks and Romans to crown the conquerors. The carnation, originally grown in England, was used for the purpose just mentioned - making garlands for heroes, and hence its name Dianthus. Many flowers would never have been traced to their origin had it not been for literature. We find, by tracing the literature of various nations, the origin of many plants and flowers, by discovering the uses to which they were put. In the matter of corn, it is well known that grains of it were found in Indian mounds.

The grape seems to have been a native of Asia, and native grapes are found in Japan and China that are very similar to our wild grapes. In the study of the grape, therefore, we might have a clue to the history of the Indian. There are forms of vegetable growth which follow man without any apparent reason, and the lecturer had read of a botanist who claimed that he could tell the nationality of a man by the weeds which surrounded him. To go more closely into this study - to show more clearly how closely civilization is connected with the development of fruits and flowers, he would call attention to the efforts that are made by those in barren or semi-barbarous regions to induce people to settle there. Gold or silver mines, indeed any of the minerals of the earth, may attract settlers in the regions where the minerals are found; but the attraction of fruit and flower culture will take the miner from his mine, and this will eventually bring about the civilization of that region. Look at Florida: how many thousands have been lured there to cultivate oranges, and with that cultivation came civilization. How much horticulturists have suffered in introducing one plant from one region to another, and yet all these sacrifices were made for the good of humanity.

How much will often depend on the chance introduction of a single plant! Take the history of the cotton plant in this country; human slavery, the chief industry of the South, a fratricidal war, and the final emancipation of the slaves, all resulted from the introduction of a cotton plant at Jamestown about 200 years ago.

The elevating and beneficial influence of flowers finds an exemplification in the kind offices of those who belong to the Flower Missions of the large cities - taking flowers to the hospitals and to the sick and suffering poor generally of the city. Pass an humble home, with its windows decked with flowers, and you at once feel that, though poor, the inmates of that dwelling are not without virtue. Gifts of flowers to the very poor would prove a better investment than giving them money, for the refining, elevating influence of the flowers would make better citizens of them by teaching them lessons of industry and thrift. The lecturer related his experience among the Indians, even in far-away Alaska. He remembered how he and his company had been warned not to go too far among a certain tribe, and there he found Captain Crittenden, of Kentucky, who had been in the rebel service, and had vowed that he would rather live among the Indians than among civilized people after the defeat of the cause for which he had fought.

There, among those dangerous Indians, on whose grounds the travelers had been warned not to encroach too closely, lived Captain Crittenden. He had a garden which he cultivated, and he told the lecturer that he gave the Indians vegetables and flowers and flower seeds, and the poor untutored fellows had learned to love him, and some of them at least had learned to grow flowers and vegetables. From savages they were transformed to peaceable, kindly neighbors. The lesson was one that ought not to be lost on us.

The lecture occupied little over half an hour in its delivery and was loudly applauded. At its conclusion Dr. Wickersham, on behalf of the citizens of Lancaster, and particularly on behalf of the pupils of the High Schools who were present, moved a resolution of thanks to Prof. Meehan for his entertaining and instructive address, and the thanks were given with a will.

[A correspondent says: "I feel sure, if you would give in the Gardeners' Monthly the address you gave us at Lancaster, it would give as much pleasure to large numbers of your readers as it did to us. If not to be published there, where may we see it ?"

To this we can only say, that the Editor does not prepare written lectures, has no time to do so, but is always ready to have a pleasant talk with his friends when he happens to be present with them.

We give above a short abstract made by the reporter of the Daily Era from the Pennsylvania State Horticultural Association, which is all we are able to give now of the talk on that occasion. The excellent Secretary, Engle, may have his report in the annual proceedings. - Ed. G. M].